Rare Flowers
by MageofApples
Summary: You don't steal a frost lotus from another herbalist, it's just rude. One druid is about to find out how seriously this rogue takes her herbalism. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Even the most hardened warrior can be distracted in the midst of a heated battle, and Ichinora was no exception. She'd decided on a shortcut back going back towards Wintergrasp Keep when she spotted it. A most cherished and rare flower, growing in the harsh northern enviroment. A Frost Lotus, it's delicate petals unfurled in the frigid air and chaotic land, growing at the base of a large tree.

The rogue pulled hard in her snowy talbuks reigns, causing the beast to groan and skid to a near halt before she spurred him onwards, sprinting the twenty or so feet to the lone herb. Somewhere in the distance came the loud rumble as a wall was shot down by mortars. It seemed the alliance may win this battle after all, but all Ichinora could worry about was not damaging the delicate flower as she knelt in the snow. The blood elf's shining emerald eyes sparkled with glee, a happiness only known by other herbalists, as she reached for the skinny stem of the lotus.

Sadly, she was not the only one to have spotted the rare herb. Being pounced from behind and paralyzed by a Druid was never a pleasant experience. Ichinora was no stranger to the battlefield, and in fact often stepped into the competitve areana, so she was somewhat accustomed to receiving a vicious bonk on the noggin. His next move, however, had her completely outraged. The lanky form of the cat slid into view, mere inches from her body. His silvery eyes cut from her to the flower and then back again. She thought his feline expression was completely condescending as the cat turned back to the herb, then reached his maw forward, preparing to tear the lotus out with his bare teeth.

Perhaps if she'd been a little more clear headed, she would have said something witty. Instead, as she felt her limbs begin to cooperate once more, she shouted something completely unintelligible as she slashed out with her daggers. Completely lost to her fury over the prospect of losing her lotus, she hacked at the air blindly, which the druid dodged easily. A grumbly chuckle could be heard coming from the throat of the night elf, which only fueled her blood lust further. The cat landed some ten feet away and was closer to the frost lotus when he crouched low to the frozen ground. Ichinora gnashed her teeth together, barely holding back a scream of frustration. Shouldn't fellow herbalists be bound by a code of honor? Surely he would understand that since she saw it first, she was -entitled- to the rights to pick it and sell it on the auction house for a ridiculously high price!

Ichinora glared maliciously, standing up straight and slowing her breath. There was a rudimentary language that most assassins knew and used in cross-faction situations. It was quite possible that this sneaky little druid didn't know of it, but there was no harm in taking the chance. To say it was a 'simple' language was an understatement, consisting mostly of verbs and a few nouns, only the essential things needed when talking in a rushed whisper with an enemy in a dark alley.

/"Mine, go!"/ she barked loudly, the explosions in the distance nearly drowning her out. She pointed towards the keep with one of her daggers, giving her order a direction for the druid.

She knew he could understand when he slowly, deliberately shook his head from side to side, never letting his gaze drop from the rogues eyes.

Muttering darkly, Ichinora rolled one of her shoulders and widened her stance. She'd have to move them away from the herb, less risk having him get sneaky about trying to snatch it, or worse, purposefully destroying the delicate plant.

A horn sounded from the north, the alliance was pushing her people out of Wintergrasp Keep, the battle was over, but she wasn't leaving without her flower. In her moment of distraction however, the druid had faded from view and she quickly followed suit. She slinked towards the flower quietly, not wanting to give him a seconds chance at it, but just as she stepped over the lotus, she felt a familiar sensation at her throat. Cold metal pressed against the skin of her neck, while his other hand settled on her stomach. He had shifted to his regular form, and the rogue had been caught.

She could barely make out the wicked looking contraptions strapped to his hands. Undoubtedly some sort of rare, deadly sort of claw weapon, fitting really, for a druid. He chuckled softly, "/easy/.." he muttered into her ear in merc speak as he pressed his face to the side of her head, nuzzling her with his cheek. She had to admit, it was a tad unsettling to have her enemy do so. He carressed her stomach, practically molesting the smooth leather there for a moment. She didn't know whether to be completely outraged or scared to death. A nagging thought kept fluttering in her head, hadn't she been told before to never take shortcuts?

The druid pushed her foreward a step, then quickly knelt and plucked the frost lotus from the ground. She felt him press his chest against her back, forcing her to take the last few steps to the tree until she was flush against the trunk. When the bark was scraping against her cheek, he brought the herb up to her face, spinning it between his forefinger and thumb.

"/Pretty, mine/," he chirped happily, then noisely sniffed the blossom. Ichinora was practically spitting in her fury. It was bad enough having it stolen right out from under her, but to have the fact waved in her face was just adding insult to injury. The wicked blades on his hand, glowing with a powerful enchantment, were mere inches from her face, while the hand on her stomach still absentmindedly stroked up and down. At times, the sweeping motion of his hand would dip low enough to cause her muscles to clench in anticipation. A low growl started in her throat and the druid chuckled in response.

Not a second later he knocked her out with a clean hit to the back of the rogue's head.

The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the last refuge for Horde soldiers in darkness. The temperature was quickly dropping as the fiery orange sky faded to black. The land of Wintergrasp was nearly completely silent, the mobs of elementals making little noise in the darkness. The peaceful night however was not destined to remain so. Heavy wings pounded the air, something large was fast approaching the small outpost. The few soldiers there grabbed their torches and weapons, preparing for the worst, yet as soon as it would seem their visitor would be upon them, the noise stopped. Only a few seconds passed before a large Orc stepped to the edge of their encampment, his torch raised high. The warriors beady eyes scanned the darkness, head tilted as if to catch any slight sound.

"Tharr! Come'ere, someones hurt!" the Orc shouted over his shoulder as he jogged into the darkness, Tharr quickly following on his heels with his axe held at the ready. Both Orc's returned into the camp's circle of light shortly after, Tharr guarding his sergeant's back as he cradled an unconscience Blood Elf's body in his arms.

Ichinora groaned softly, her eyes clenched tightly shut as she started to become conscious once more. It felt like her brain was trying to escape through her nose. Muttering a curse, she brought her hand to her head, as if to make sure it was all intact.

"Ah you're awake I see," a gravelly voice spoke up, somewhere close by where she layed. "You'll want to drink this then," a cold, clammy hand gripped her's lightly, putting a small mug in her grip as he helped her sit up slowly. She sipped the contents obediantly after cracking an eye open, seeing that her friendly helper was an undead man wearing Kor'kron colors.

"That was quite a nasty bump on your head," the forsaken busied himself putting vials and poitions back into a satchel.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ichinora grumbled, staring hard at the smooth mug between her hands. She brought her knees up and balanced her arms on her legs, letting her head drop nearly between them.

"Well, no permenant damage at least," he shrugged the strap of his bag onto his boney shoulder after standing, "but I'd head out unless you want to get caught in the next assault."

Ichinora just wasn't in the mood to get up, let alone travel anywhere. Every little movement she made was accompanied with an ill-mannered grumbled or petulant groan. Eventually she made it out of the tent, where an Orc explained her odd drop off in the cover of darkness. It didn't take long for the rogue to put the pieces together, but she chose to stay silent for the sake of simplicity. She really wasn't in the mood to tell these people her rather humiliating story. Doing her best to keep a pleasant, grateful smile, she thanked the soldiers one last time and hopped on a wyvern bound for Dalaran. The flight, while shorter than most, wasn't over quick enough for Ichinora.

When the spires of the floating island were in clear view, Ichinora let out a long, exasperated sigh and gathered the view remnants of her pride. She told herself that no one else knew of this embarrassing little incident. There were plenty other Frost Lotus's growing in Northrend, this single one really didn't matter. She spent the last couple of minutes on the wyvern convincing herself to forget the transgression. When the beast finally settled onto Krasus's Landing, she slid from it's saddle feeling much better.

It was midmorning as the rogue navigated the busy streets of Dalaran. She was determined not to let the pushy citizens of the floating city dampen her good mood, and thus took her time getting to the inn where she was renting a room. The Legerdemain Lounge was the only thing that suited her tastes and accepted her kind in all of Dalaran. The Filthy Animal was too barbaric and she avoided the Underbelly at all costs. It had taken the rogue days of searching before she finally came to realize that was all there was in the huge city. When she reached the inn she walked straight to the bar and ordered both lunch and dinner. The waiter deftly fetched her requested items, hardly looking up as he tied everything into a neat sack and sat it on the counter, one hand resting on the parcel until she handed over the coin.

"Thank you come again," he said mechanically. Ichinora noted that this particular barkeep didn't come out of his shell until the sun started to set. She grabbed the knot in one hand and turned her back to the counter with a polite remark to the man, her eyes reflexively sweeping the room. It was a habit that she quickly regretted. Thinking back, Ichinora never got a good look at the thieving druid's face, but she'd never forget those claw weapons he had. They were rare, and definitely eye catching. They also weren't something that you'd wear on a daily basis, but one just happened to be sitting on one of the dinner tables in the lounge, practically screaming for the attention. It took a moment for Ichinora to register that she was standing stock still, openly glaring at the object, and when she did her eyes went immediately to the Night Elf leaning back in his chair.

The druid was grinning widely at a pretty young Night Elf sitting across from him, simpering and giggling like he was flattering her with lavish praises. Ichinora could easily imagine this druid was a smooth talker. She watched him take a flower out, bringing it to his nose to enjoy it's fragrent scent. He spoke some more before leaning forward, offering the girl to enjoy it's aroma with a suave grin. The rogue blinked a couple times, her green eyes widening when she finally realized it was the frost lotus he held before the girl.

All that work to steal it from her, and he's using it to pick up girls! The rogues's cheeks burned red with rage. For a moment she imagined herself pummelling his ass right out of that chair, but she couldn't forget that the mages did not tolerate violence in their city. It was a shame, really. One the waitresses touched her shoulder, an older human woman, snapping the rogue out of her trance. Her face showed concern, and Ichinora held the grace to look embarrassed. She waved her hand, trying to gesture that she was fine. She really needed to head up to her room now.

Before she turned to start heading towards the staircase leading to the guest room however, she looked back at the table, she locked eyes with the druid. She watched his grin slowly grow as he recognized her, and it perhaps the cockiest gesture she'd ever seen someone make, he raised the flower as if toasting a glass of wine to the Blood Elf. Ichinora glared daggers at the druid, shaking her head and did the only thing she could do; retreat. She stomped all the way up to her room, and slammed the door, locking it for all the good it would do. It wasn't like it helped block out the image of him mocking her right in the middle of the lounge. He was probably sharing his little victory with all of his assinine buddies.

Ichinora tore through her lunch, eating too quickly and swallowing too hard to really enjoy it and tried to sleep on her upset stomach. Peace didn't come quickly, and she tossed and turned in her sulky mood until she managed to finally force herself asleep. Images of stabbing cocky night elves and pretty flowers invaded her dreams.

Author's Note-

Helloo and thank you for reading my new story, it's a little short for my liking, but I know the next few chapters will be more robust, and full of exciting, naughty little details and scenarios! ^_^

I'm really in need of a beta reader, if you're at all interested, send me a note!


	2. Chapter 2

The sun couldn't rise fast enough for Ichinora the next day. She was vehemently regretting her mid day nap as she packed her satchels and headed down the winding staircase to the lounge. It was still ridiculously early, few people were awake, leaving the city eerily silent. The main floor was barren except for a sleepy looking barkeep behind the counter. The young blood elf man had both elbows on the table, propping up his head, although it was painfully obvious that he wasn't awake. Walking out into the pre-dawn darkness, the rogue took a deep breath, pausing for a moment to enjoy the quiet city atmosphere. Adjusting the shoulder strap of her bag, she stepped into the city road, heading in the direction of the Krasus Landing stables where she kept her most prized mount, Rozell, a very large, very intimidating proto-drake. Saying that she kept him in the stables wasn't an entirely true statement. There was nothing barring him from leaving at any time, he simply had a stall to rest in whenever he desired. It was like that with the more sentient creatures. While a proto-drake wasn't as intelligent as a regular drake, they were definetly able to share emotions.

The main hallway led straight out into open sky, and was where the most expensive stalls were located. She casually turned off of the hallway, heading to the cheaper part, her eyes curiously peering at some of the creatures dozing in their little homes. It didn't take long to reach Rozell since he'd already come halfway. His great, lumbering crimson form filled much of the hallway. He grumbled appreciatively, the deep sound vibrating in her chest as she reached up to scratch his brow ridge. Rozell hunched low to the ground as the rogue scrambled up onto his back, settling into the old leather saddle. The great beast walked to the main opening, the large hooks of his wings gripped the ledge. As Rozell waited for her queue to fly, Ichinora pulled her bag to her lap, opening it up to check it's contents to ensure everything she'd need for a full days worth of gathering was there. She didn't want to have to return to Dalaran until she her bags were bursting at the seams.

A frown tugged at the corners of her lips. A measly piece of bread was the only thing left of her rations. She huffed in annoyance, surely she didn't eat all of yesterdays meal. The rogue rubbed at her forehead for a moment, then urged Rozell to fly out and back up to Krasus Landing. He leapt into the open air, for a moment hanging on the breeze before beating his powerful wings to bring them up to the landing pad. Dalaran still seemed deserted, the morning light had only begun to frost the eastern horizon with white light.

Ichinora's purse was dangerously light, only a few pieces of gold jangling in the leather sack. As she contemplated her poverty, still perched in Rozell's saddle, an otherworldly roar erupted from the sky somewhere high above Krasus Landing. Ichinora's eyes immediately searched the dark sky above her, detecting the faint blue glow of a frostbrood drake. The sound it made had the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She hated those creatures, and wished the idiots that had raided the Citadel's halls had decided to destroy the whelps rather than attempt to train the dangerous beasts instead. There were already stories that some of the frostbrood had turned on their riders.

The skeletal drake circled the landing lazily, slowly drifting downwards. Rozell seemed unperturbed by the undead drake above him, a fact which somewhat irked Ichinora. She pointed him towards the northern side of the landing, packing away her tiny gold pouch as he lumbered over to the little sitting area. The frostbrood drake released a second roar, quieter this time as it settled on the ground, it's talon's clicking on the brick. Rozell grumbled deeply as he hunched down, giving Ichinora a shorter trip off his back. She landed with the grace of a seasoned rogue, patted Rozell's shoulder with the promise that she'd return quickly and spun away, intending to sprint to the treent fruit vendor and back. Luck was not with her this day either, however. As soon as she had her back turned to her proto-drake companion, she met with the shoulder of a much taller man, stumbling back onto her butt from the collision.

"S-sorry!" she sputtered, rubbing her hip. She looked up at the shadowy figure, recognizing the golden glowing eyes of a night elf immediately, but was unable to make out any other features in the pre-dawn darkness. The silence that met her apology had her on edge. The form above her finally reached out a helping hand, which Ichinora took with some trepidation. When she was on her feet again, Ichinora took a few steps back, distancing herself from the silent stranger.

"/Clumsy rogue../" the night elf said with a click of his tongue, as if admonishing the blood elf. She saw him shake his head slowly, her rage boiling quickly as she recognized the voice. Her back straighted, shoulders squared as she tried to stand a little taller, thankful that her furious blush was made invisible in the dark.

"Wretched bastard!" she cursed in Orcish, bringing a fist up, but squashing the threatening posture immediately as she caught sight of the silhouette's of the mage guards over the Druid's shoulder at the pedestrian entrance to the main city roads. She didn't doubt that he caught her insult despite the language barrier. She knew she shouldn't be, but she felt truly outraged by his comment, and even while knowing it was impossible and pointless to try and explain in merc speak, she found herself searching for the words before any other rational thoughts occurred. To fill in the silence she tried to mock him with the words more commonly used for 'rat' and 'trash'. He seemed to be hardly effected by her insult, and Ichinora could just barely see his shoulders shaking in silent mirth. Rather than continue to grace the night elf with her presence, however, she made a wide circle around him, intending to follow her earlier plan before she'd been so rudely knocked off course. She'd be damned if she allowed the thieving Druid to ruin her day a second time.

The sky was quickly gaining color, taking on a pinkish orange glow as the population of Dalaran began to imerge. She had intended to be half way to Scholazar Basin by now, she realized with a half hearted scowl. Applebough, her favorite fruit vendor, was in the same place he usually was, swaying gently as if moved by the breeze. She tried to smile pleasantly as she approached, though her foul mood was hard to shake. Quickly carrying out her business, the rogue stuffed the small variety of fruit into her bag and tried to return to Krasus Landing as quickly as possible. When she rounded the first corner however, her gaze was caught by the eye of a familiar feline on the other side of the road. The large Druid was watching Ichinora with an intensity that demanded her attention. She stopped, glaring daggers at the druid before stalking over, closing the distance between them quickly. The cat's head reached Ichinora's chest, so she didn't have to bend far to stab a sharp finger at his nose, though refrained from touching. She knew how serious the guard's were about violence in the streets. Any and all hostilies had to be taken care of in the sewers, and that was exactly where she planned on going.

"/Under, now!/" she used the most simple words to get her point across, not caring about eloquency in the moment. Her green eyes flashed dangerously as she led the way, every once in while peering over her shoulder to make sure the druid followed, which he did, staying right on her heels. The entrance to the Underground was thankfully near by, as Ichinora rounded the corner, she felt the distinct change in atmosphere that marked their descent into the Underbelly. The well manicured roads of Dalaran were a far cry from the potion littered tunnels of the sewers. Her nose wrinkled at the thick layer of fumes released by the potentially dangerous concoctions that ran beneath her feet. The early morning hours weren't known to be a popular time for the seedy, underhanded business that typically took place in the sewers, thus the duo were alone on their trip to the only place where dueling was allowed.

Ichinora descended the rickety steps carefully, and tried to stay out of the murky puddles as best as she could. Walking to the middle of one of the islands, she dropped her pack and turned to face the druid, who had chosen to remain in his feline body. The cat was the perfect image of serenity, which irritated Ichinora to no end. His sleek, well muscled form lept the muddy waters with the grace typical of a cat. Another annoyance was that she wasn't able to give him an eloquent tongue lashing. She made a mental note to try and add a few insults to the merc speak and hope they caught on with those of her trade.

While she certainly wasn't dressed for an epic duel, she didn't think she needed any of her magically enhanced leathers to get her point across. Killing was against the rules in the mage city anyways, she just intended to get her point across to her long-eared stalker; stay the fel away from me! Ichinora couldn't fool herself, however. She knew a large part of the reason she was itching for a duel with the cat was to redeem herself of her humilatingly quick defeat in Wintergrasp. She had tried to convince herself that she'd lost focus because of her attempt to protect the lotus, but there was no excuse in battle. The fact that she was breathing was still a mystery, one that only the sicko standing before her truly knew.

"Alright you creep.." Ichinora muttered in Orcish, drawing her blades which were still coated with her favorite poisons. Just as her daggers left their holsters however, the night elf shifted to his regular form, holding up a hand as if to stop the rogue in her tracks. He was decked out in almost the exact same armor he'd been wearing in Wintergrasp, except some pieces seemed slightly more ceremonial. Long bell sleaves hid most of his hands, and almost every leather strapped had silvery ornamental embroidery decorations.

"/No fight/", he said simply and with no emotion on his face. Ichinora watched as he passively folded his hands before him, offering no resistance. A fine crease appeared between the rogue's brows, her expression bordering on outrage. Surely this was some game, he was toying with her. He had a ploy, and she had taken his bait like a good mouse. A cramp in her upper arms warned her that she'd been death gripping her daggers for too long. Maybe he was trying to get her thrown out of Dalaran, reason be damned since he was probably psychotic. The seething hatred that had been burning in her eyes died out, replaced instead with calculation. It was the same stare she gave every opponent when she wasn't exactly sure what she was dealing with.

She was tired of surprises, but it seemed the druid had one more trick up his sleave, and that was right where Ichinora watched one hand disappear. The rogue immediately dropped into a ready stance, prepared for him to draw something nasty, but instead he pulled the last thing she had expected. The icy petals of a frost lotus appeared, the druid held it out to Ichinora, who stared blankly as if he was holding a three headed rat out for her inspection. Her bright eyes slid back and forth between the druid and the herb, unsure what to really think of his apparent gift. He certainly wasn't presenting it to her in the same fashion he had to the pretty girl the night before, and she certainly couldn't look at this particular frost lotus like any other. Perhaps all frost lotus's would be ruined forever more after these past events. All right, that was taking it a little far, she had to admit.

The druid cleared his throat, reminding Ichinora that she'd be standing silently staring at him for a while now. Ichinora blinked, upon opening her eyes she met his with a glare and closed the distance between them in a flash, her main dagger at his throat with a dangerous pressure. She'd knocked his hand aside, letting the frost lotus drift to the ground without a second thought. For all she knew it could have been poisoned.

"/Stop the game,/" she growled, holding a fistful of the druid's long hair in order to bend his head down, it was truly the only way she was able to look into his golden glowing eyes.

The night elf gave her a rather disconcerting smile, "/no game./" He brought both hands up, showing the rogue his palms. She finally noticed he was missing his fist weapons. So he had followed her down here unarmed. Ichinora gave him a hard stare before pulling her dagger away from his throat.

"Fine.." she muttered in Orcish, taking a step back and holstering her offhand dagger. Her eyes slid greedily to the discarded herb, which had luckily fallen on a dry patch of ground. One thing that Ichinora had long ago accepted about herself was that she was greedy to a fault, which didn't always make sense as she had often found herself without even a copper to her name. Too bad she wasn't thinking of that as she bent to retrieve the herb, letting the druid out of a sight for a second too long.

A leather boot in one's side is a good teacher, especially in the art of battle. Ichinora could describe in great detail the difference between a leather boot and a plate one. Her ribs were perhaps one of her least favorite places to receive a leather boot, however, and it was with great shame that she released a very unwarrior-like shriek of surprise. She would look back on this moment, if she survived, and realize that she really shouldn't have been surprised at all.

Toppling over, she slid into a pool of slimy liquids, coughing and sputtering from the force of his kick. Before she had time to react, he was upon her again, pushing her onto her back and sitting on her chest. He trapped her arms beneath his knees, not giving her even an inch to work with. Ichinora could hardly draw a breath beneath his weight as she glared maliciously up at the grinning druid. The night elf shook his head slowly, in much the same way he had earlier that morning.

"What's...WRONG..with you?" the rogue screamed in frustration, kicking her legs and attempting to lift her hips in a frantic try for escape. Her thrashing only proved futile, and he simply mocked her with a chuckle. She panted softly until she once again caught her breath, and decided instead to wait for his move. When it was apparent her struggles had subsided, the druid slowly brought his face to hers, watching with amusement when she tried to press herself further into the ground.

"/S-stop!,/" she stuttered in surprise when he gripped her dainty chin, turning her face just a fraction to the side. When she nearly twisted out of his grip, the druid brought his other hand to hold her still as he pressed his tongue against her jaw and proceeded to run it languidly up the side of her face. Ichinora cursed and spat in a rage, thoroughly disgusted with the night elf. The wet trail he left behind tingled on her skin, and she would have begged if she could for him to let her wipe it off. Drool was something she couldn't deal with; blood, yes, drool..no. Her heart hammered against her sore ribcage as she stared up at the man, pure rage written plainly on her face. The night elf met her gaze with a strange sort of pleasure in his eyes. While Ichinora did have her own code of honor, she knew she would have no trouble in cutting down this particular unarmed adversary.

The druid held a single finger up between them, as if to motion for the rogue to wait a second. Ichinora scoffed at him, but was pleasantly surprised when he suddenly, and very gracefully, jumped up and out of reach of her. She wasted no time in getting to her feet, her eyes locked on his. She pulled her second dagger free of it's sheath, taking on a tight ready stance as she began to circle the druid, who mimicked her movements with ease. Ichinora's body refused to relax, she didn't even allow herself to wipe his spit from her cheek. She simply watched, waiting for the chance to strike. However, patience was lost on the rogue, and she charged full force for the night elf, daggers poised for the kill.

She thought she might have nicked him, just a small cut, but before she could do any real damage, her opponent gripped her wrist and spun her straight into the wall at their side. She connected with enough force to momentarily blind her, and once again the druid had her pinned. She had instinctively brought her daggers up, but he simply crossed her arms and twisted her wrists downwards until her hands involuntarily released her weapons. She snarled viciously in the druid's face before slowly growing quiet, not sure what to really expect from him now. She was in a better position to take a chunk of him out with her teeth she thought. The druid pressed himself heavily against her, using one hand and his body to trap her arms. Her brought his free hand up to softly stroke her hair, jerking quickly away when she snapped her teeth at his wrist. He laughed softly, then tapped her nose as if reprimanding a feisty puppy. She choked back her outrage, though the noise died in her throat anyway when the druid suddenly had his mouth on her neck. Ichinora's eyes went wide, astonishment and a little fear shining brightly on her face as she felt his lips, tongue and teeth dancing over her sweat slicked skin.

Ichinora truly had no precedent for this moment. Her whole body was tense, though she wasn't sure she would have been able to move if she had the chance. He was still crushing her against the wall, but she wasn't sure if he was really trying to trap her there anymore. Her question was answered, however, when he pulled away. Ichinora was almost positive he left a mark, and was only half certain he had planned it this way. It took her a second longer to realize her arms were no longer pinned, though she still held them criss-crossed on her chest. The druid seemed to be waiting for an answer, and Ichinora found herself completely flabberghasted to find she didn't know what to do. She simply blinked up at him in shock, her lips slightly parted and her mind very blank.

Finally she forced herself to act, and did the only thing that seemed right at the moment, which was to aim and land a solid punch on the night elf's cheek. She thought he looked a little dazed, as if that was the last thing he had expected her to do. The druid took a step back, his stance widened in case he needed to defend himself from a second attack. Ichinora wrinkled her nose, trying her best to hide the confusion she felt inside, to appear indignant to his actions. She saw the night elf rub his cheek, but was appalled to find she couldn't quite meet him eye to eye. His features seemed devoid of any expression. Ichinora couldn't stand to be under his scrutiny any more and made a mad dash for the exit after collecting her bag.

She swore to herself that she'd never again visit the sewers as she nearly vaulted the wooden stairs that led to the main pipe, and eventually out into the main city. She was halfway to her inn when she realized she had left Rozell waiting on the landing.

"For Sun's SAKE!" she skidded to a halt, nearly shouting in some pedestrian's face as she turned and jogged back to Krasus Landing. Of course the proto-drake hadn't waited for her though, she remembered he had been rather hungry earlier. As Ichinora stood there, she weighed her options. She had everything she needed with her to continue her day as planned, there really was no reason to put off her much needed gathering trip. So it was decided, and rather than wait for Rozell to return, she sought out the flight master and paid for her trip to the basin.

As soon as the wyvern had soared out of view of Dalaran, the rogue realized just how good it felt to be leaving the city behind. With it went her troubles as well, or at least the cause of said troubles. Ichinora grumbled softly to herself, she wouldn't allow herself to think of anything but her day ahead. She gave herself a good shake to drive the point home and tried to urge her mount to fly faster, only to be blantently ignored. Sighing in defeat, she resolved to relax for the rest of the flight.

A.N/ you've made it to the end of the second chapter! :D That darn druid..such a chauvinist prick :

Most of this chapter was written while I was without internet, and nearly that entire time I read 'predator' fanfics on my iphone ..x3 I rather hate how it looks like I've written a lot on wordpad, but when it's posted to , it's like, hardly long at all :\

Thanks for reading and please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome to chapter three!

Sorry about how long this had taken to get out.. LOTS has happened between now and chapter two that kept me from writing..I do have EVERY intention of finishing this story guys, no worries there ;D

Try as she might, Ichinora couldn't force herself to stay the entire day in Scholazar Basin. With her bags only half full, she conceded defeat and trudged her way to the flight master to pay for a ride back to Dalaran. While the heavy, humid air of the basin had been a nice distraction at first, the drudgery of her task hadn't been enough to occupy her thoughts. Soon the druid was all she could think about. A few times she had nearly jumped out of her own skin when she thought she had spotted him spying on her from behind a tree. There was also a few more dead panthers littering the ground than completely necessary after her visit.

On the ride back, Ichinora was consumed with ideas and plans to fix her problem. She couldn't just hide in horde cities, plus there was no gold to be made there, or interesting enough jobs to keep her and her gold pouch satisfied. Not to mention, that would be the equivalent to hiding. Ichinora clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth at the very thought. Deep down, the night elf was no better than a thief and a stalker, he had to be brought to justice!

When the spires of the city were in view, Ichinora sat a little straighter in the saddle, schooling her facial expression into a stern mask and prepared to land. By the time she had sat her feet on the ground, the sun was only half way on it's path to the horizon. Her bags told a sad tale of bitter defeat in her day of gathering herbs and other things valuable enough to sell at auction. Ichinora entertained the thought of skinning a particular night elf, wondering just how much gold a druid's hide would fetch. The thought brought a smile to the rogue's face as she stepped through the portal to Orgrimmar.

The rest of her afternoon was spent haggling and hawking her wares in the auction house. Due only to her manipulative ways and experienced hand, she managed to earn herself enough to go back to Dalaran and rest easily without too much guilt. A bitter cloud still hung over her head however, when she thought of just how much gold this predicament had really cost her, and all could be blamed on that damnable night elf. He really owed her a pretty copper, she thought with a grim expression.

The only question left then was how would she make him pay her back. She couldn't exactly beat it out of him, he'd already proven to be more than match for her in a fair duel. Ichinora stepped into her inn as she finally concluded that it wouldn't be fair, not for him at least. Her mood had considerably lightened by the time she closed and locked her room's door for the night. Evil, devious plans circled her head as she took her time undressing and washing up after her long and sweaty day. A large bowl of water and a soft sponge were hardly enough to really wash away her grime, but she'd long ago learned how to use it to it's full potential and she didn't want to use the communal bath house. After drying and blowing out the extra candles, Ichinora nearly vaulted into bed and pinched out the last flame on her night-stand. She could hardly keep her smug grin at bay as she finally decided on her next course of action. That thief was going to get what was coming to him.

Ichinora was dressed and out of the inn by mid morning, her satchel slung over her shoulder and a satisfied smile curling the corners of her lips upward. It was going to be slow day and a long night if everything went according to plan. There wasn't much work to be done as long as he followed the obvious trail she was about to lay out. Hopefully he was feeling cooperative today. Not like he didn't seem unwilling to work with her, as past encounters seemed to go.

On her trip to the bank, Ichinora kept her eyes scanning the crowds she passed through, hoping to catch a glimpse of her prey in the swarm of bodies. Instead of going to the north bank like she usually did, she took the long way around to the south bank, known for being frequented by alliance members. She didn't feel worried about not spotting the druid, but as the day marched on Ichinora began to worry that her little plan may have to wait. She didn't think he'd have ran away so soon. The thought surprisingly troubled her the more she thought about it, which in turn made her rather angry. She should be glad to have a day free of angst and misery caused by sneaky perverts! Darkness fell across the mage city as Ichinora walked into the warm glow of her inn. All sorts of patrons filled the dining area as the rogue found an empty stool at the bar. As soon as she slouched down, a familiar prickling sensation tickled the back of her neck. Resisting the urge to turn and see who might have been staring a hole into the back of her head, she instead casually ordered her wine and tiny sandwich.

Slowly she ate her dinner, the entire time ignoring the urge to rub the skin of was finally her chance to lay the beginnings of her trap. She mentally rubbed her hands together with a devious little laugh. When the last her sandwich went down her gullet, she stood and dashed down the final gulp of her wine. At the same time she casually let her eyes flick across the dining area. She had been so certain the entire time she ate, that there was a certain amount of devastation when she didn't see him sitting behind her. A tiny crease appeared between her brows as she stood motionless at the bar, a little confused on how to further proceed. She exhaled a long sigh and turned back to the bar feeling crestfallen. Clutching the edge of the counter, she looked for the barkeep, who was down at the other end serving up a drink to a familiar looking man.

A painful lump of air seemed to become stuck in the rogue's throat as she suddenly caught the druid's eye. He gave her a ridiculously cocky little wink as he downed his dark beverage. She probably looked like a rabbit being charmed by the dance of a snake as she stood there, dumbfounded for what seemed like forever. She heard his glass hit the counter, which must have broken the spell. She blinked and shook her head to clear it, but when she looked at the spot where he had been standing a second ago, he was gone. She had the unsettling feeling like perhaps she had been the prey all along. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she raised her hand to catch the bartenders attention. The pretty blond blood elf walked over a little too slow for her liking, rubbing his white cloth along the bar as he did. When he finally reached her, Ichinora's expression had morphed into a mask of rage, which seemed to unsettle the waiter.

"C-can I help you?"

"Yes you certainly may! I won't be here for the next two days as I'm heading to Booty Bay for some important herbalist work, so I'm paying up my room!" she announced grandly, with sweeping hand motions and all. By the time she was finished a good half of the room was well aware of her plans, but Ichinora didn't notice as she slapped down the coin and marched up the stairs, turning her back on a rather shocked bartender. Stomping her way up the staircase, she knew for certain that the dastardly night elf heard the whole thing. Slamming her room's door shut, she launched herself onto the bed, feeling very smug about her plans. There was no way he'd let this pass, she thought to herself.

Slim grey clouds slid across the pink morning horizon as the young rogue clutched for dear life to a tawny windrider as it dropped from the sky, landing gracelessly on the withered plank decks of Booty Bay. After paying the flight master, Ichinora turned, straightening her tunic and myriad satchels and peered across the bay at the huge goblin city. A self-satisfied smile curled the bloof elfs cupid bow lips. She had to admit to herself, she was a genius. Puffing out her chest, she sauntered down to the Salty Sailor tavern. She had the whole day to set her trap, but she'd have to be extra sly about it, she thought, as she still had the unsettling feeling that the night elf had been watching her the entire day before. She self-consciously rubbed her neck, trying to shake off the memory.

Slinking up to the tavern's bar, she caught the eye of Skindle, the innkeeper. After a quick transaction, she had her room paid for the night and the rest of the day to do her evil deeds. Remaining as quiet and invisible as possible, Ichinora made her way to the rooms, built into the remains of an old pirate's ship hull. From here on out she decided to stay in stealth until she reached the man she needed to speak with. Stepping up onto the small bed her room was furnished with, she pushed the window open and paused, straining her tall, slim ears for any sound and thus indulging her paranoia. Only after she was satisfied that there were no unusual sounds to be heard, she squeezed herself through the small window and scaled up the side of the ship to the the roof.

Sticking to the tiny ledges behind the buildings, she slowly and stealthily made her way to the 'contact', as he liked to be considered. The 'contact' was a large, beefy troll with the palest blue skin she'd ever seen. He'd be handsome, she thought, if he wasn't so muscular. He also had the penchant for over drinking, and being one hell of a mean drunk, which was exactly the reason she was in Booty Bay. She always had troubled pronouncing his full name, so she'd come to call him Baju, which he seemed to tolerate since he'd been lusting after her since they first met. Baju was always complimenting her 'nice round ass', indeed uttering those words at least ten times in every conversation. It was something she'd gotten used to tuning out, as he was valuable in his resources and getting the jobs done in a timely matter.

Baju's second home was a tiny, dingy bar that was nearly floating on the surf during high tide. Water often seeped through the cracks of the floor boards during those times. During the periods between repairs, you really had to watch your step for danger of falling through the wet, rotten wood and into the water. Dropping to the lowest level of the bay city, Ichinora poked her head into the nearly deserted bar, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the stench of salt and alcohol and whatever had been overcooked in the back kitchen. Despite the early hour, Baju was indeed perched on a bar stool, nursing a tall glass of whatever drink he was favoring.

Ichinora dropped her stealth after the door swung shut at her back. A groggy eyed orc blinked sluggishly over his shoulder at her from a small table at the side of the room. The rogue wasted no time as she advanced right up to Baju's side, who seemed at least half asleep.

"Ba-..Baju!" she snapped her fingers at the side of his face. His long, curved tusks seemed to be the only thing keeping his head up as they rested on the bar. "Hey wake up!" she barked in his long blue ear.

"Hassshh..a lon' nigh'.." he grumbled, barely coherent.

Ichinora's frown tugged at her lips for a moment before she hailed the bartender. She ordered a glass of water from the busty orc woman, which was handed over quickly enough. Resisting the urge to splash it directly in the troll's face, she pinched his ear hard enough to earn an indignant yelp of pain. Using the moment to it's full advantage, she poured as much as she could into Baju's open mouth. He sputtered, swallowing most and coughing the rest over the bar, for which Ichinora was thankful.

"Crazy woman!" he yelled, wiping his face with his bare arms and patting the open cotton vest his wore afterward.

"Well since I have your attention now, I have a job for you. Think of it as paying me back for all things I've done so nicely for you," she smiled sheepishly, batting her eyelashes at the red faced troll. Baju eyed the blood elf suspiciously for a moment.

"What kinda job, eh?" he grumbled, still wiping at the water on his body.

"A job that was made just for a strong man like you!" she spoke cheerfully, grinning widely at the skeptical look on Baju's face. "There will be delivery tonight, brought by a tough guy, a night elf. Rumors tell he's strong, maybe..too strong for you, eh?" she waggled one long brow at Baju, who huffed and smirked while flexing his chest muscles. Ichinora suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "I highly suggest bringing at least one or two of your strong men Baju.. and he'll be here tonight, I haven't scoped out the exact location, but I believe it'll be around this area.

"He a rogue?" Baju asked before grabbing his mug and taking a long drink from it.

"A druid, feral," she answered quickly

.

Baju groaned, setting his glass back on the old wood bar. "Cats..I hate'em.."

"Well, I trust you can handle this? Remember all the jobs I did for you, out of the kindess of my own heart Baj?" Ichinora turned on the charm once again, leaning just a bit towards the troll in her earnesty.

"Ya ya Ichi.. I'll do this fo' yah.."

Ichinora clapped her hands, the loud, sharp noise seemed to startle the lone orc at his table. She thrust her hand towards Baju, who shook it once before tightening his grip, "aft'o'wards, you buy a drink fo' me," he stated, before releasing the blood elf's hand.

"Fine fine..ya drunkard," she said rather offhandedly as she slid off the stool, "I'll be back here at nightfall, be waiting at the door and I'll tell you what I've found out about his location."

Baju turned his back to the bar, propping his elbows on the wood as he reclined. "Mmk Ichi, now walk real slow out da door, will yeh?"

She finally allowed herself to roll her eyes at the troll before exiting at a normal pace. She heard his chuckle as the door closed. Instead of stealthing, she walked at a leisurely pace back to the inn. She wanted the druid to know she was up to something. She had kept a good eye on the door the entire time she was talking with the troll, so she was mostly sure the transaction had taken place without any sort of eavesdropping. A familiar, excited fluttering could be felt in the rogues stomach, the excitement of a plan gone right. The rest of the day could be spent at her whim, she thought with a sigh. As long as the night elf saw her walking to the bottom level of the city, and followed as she expected, everything would fall exactly in place. Baju and his dogs would sniff him out easily, she believed.

She was somewhere in the forests of Stranglethorn. Stripped of her daggers and the essential pieces of her leather gear, left mostly defenseless. She was coming to realize that she had little knowledge of unarmed combat and the shadows of the forest were starting to writhe and twist with life. The distant echo of a roar met her ears and sent a cold slice of fear slithering down her spine. Shadows began to edge away from the dark bushes, stalking towards her before growing, taking the forms of large, prowling felines. A chorus of growls began to start, rising from the shadow cats as they circled their prey. They made a whirl pool with their bodies, their eyeless faces always focused on the blood elf. She was startled to feel hands smooth along her arms, running up to wrap around her chest. Her heart began to beat furiously in her chest, her breath caught in her throat as she felt lips ghost across the bottom of her ear. His hands caressed down her chest, one lingering to cup her breast as the other fell lower until his fingers were pushing between the hairless folds of her mound. Opening her mouth to speak, no words could find their way out, but she wasn't even sure what she wanted to say. No? Yes? Stop? Go? An all too familiar coiling began in the pit of her stomach as he explored her body, his fingers deftly playing across her skin.

Ichinora thrashed in the thin sheets of her inn's bed. She panted, sweat slicking her body and she was sure something had startled her from sleep. Wide, green eyes scoured the details of the room, but nothing could be seen, nothing was changed. Trying to quickly catch her breath, she could feel her cheeks burning red as she peered out the window across the bay. The sun was beginning to set, and she had work to do. She fished out her most prized set of leathers, pulled them on and checked herself in the mirror for a long while, until everything was exactly in place. She thought she looked quite intimidating, the enchanted armor lending her the air of something deadly that should be avoided at all costs.

Descending the steps of the tavern, Ichinora exited through the main room. She got a few more glances than she normally did, perhaps because she looked rather out of place in a small tavern inn dressed up like she was ready to go slay a few hundred dragons. Stepping out into the warm glow of the setting sun, the rogue paused for just a moment, straining all possible senses to pick up any hint of the druid. A pang of fear that he wouldn't show, or had picked up on her little trap fretted through her mind. Walking to the edge of the deck, crossing under the giant shark hung by its tail, she looked down into the ocean water. She stood there for a moment, knowing she had to take her time and keep looking for any sign of a stalking feline druid. She slowly turned her back to the ocean, letting her eyes follow the stumpy form of a patrolling bruiser as he passed before sweeping her gaze across the tiny, crowded buildings built along the cliff wall.

Just as she was turning to head down the ramp leading to the lower levels, a small flock of birds lifted off in unison from one of the many roofs above. The movement was just enough to catch her attention, and lead it to the large shadow that suddenly darted down into the shadows between the structures. While she couldn't be certain it was her prey, old rogue's intuition told her it was more than likely. He'd been sneaky enough to evade her detection so far, and it was possible that he had startled those birds on purpose, but he wasn't about to worm out of Baju's punches, she thought with a grim sort of smirk.

The lower level of Booty Bay wasn't as crowded as it could be, Ichinora noted thankfully as she passed a smelly old human as he slowly reeled in his lure. The area was a lot darker than the main deck, with most of the light provided by the orange glow of lamps and candles. Making her way to Baju's hideaway, she could once again feel the prickling of hairs rise on the back of her neck. She smoothed her hand along the sensitive flesh, not bothering to hide the movement. It wouldn't be long before she wouldn't have to worry about that annoyance anymore.

Baju was waiting for her at the door, just as she asked. He seemed sober, acknowledging her approach with a little nod of his head. "Whatcha got to say, Ichi?"

"He's on this level, probably near," she spoke quietly, a crazy sort of nervousness suddenly erupting in her stomach. She tried to calm her pulse as she schooled her facial expression into neutrality. "I just need you to rough him up a bit, then hold him for me."

Baju responded by looking over his shoulder, nodding slightly before moving past her, followed by a goblin and his pet worg. Ichinora eyed the hunter speculatively, suddenly feeling a bit worried by the obviously novice accomplice. Apparently Baju only figured on needing help flushing the druid out, since he was only a warrior. He was renowned among the horde as an exceptional combatant, taking many prizes in the arena rings, but it didn't do much to qualm Ichinora's fear that the druid would be more than a match for him. Biting her lip, she followed them at a distance, not wanting to interrupt the team as they worked. She watched as the large worg dashed ahead at the command of the goblin. She stood in the shadows behind them, wondering idly what the animal was told to track. She knew a hunter's pet was supposed to be exceptionally smart, but did it know how to search for a stealthed druid? She sighed, forcing her heart to slow and muscles to relax.

Leaning her shoulder against the nearby wall of a plank wood shanty, Ichinora kept her sharp gaze on the hunter and Baju as they moved slowly after the worg. It wouldn't be long, she thought, he had to have been trailing her close behind. As those thoughts went through her mind, however, the prickling sensation on the back of her neck returned in full force, this time accompanied with the immensely unsettling feeling of having someone standing right behind her. Ichinora cleared her throat, fear rooting her feet in place as she watched Baju and the hunter disappear behind a turn. Right as her lips parted to let out a warning yell, a warm, rough tongue pressed hotly against her cheek, dragging upwards across her flesh. Ichinora yelped, the sound coming out strangled from her tight throat as she stumbled away from the feline. She got a glimpse of him, perched on the wooden banister the ran between the support beams that held up the second level of decks.

As she fell back onto her buttocks, the hunter's worg suddenly appeared, barreling around the corner with a howl, leaping up and latching his teeth into the dark druids hind leg, dragging him from the banister. Baju suddenly rounded the turn with the hunter not far behind. The warrior dashed foreward, knocking the hissing and growling druid into a short alleyway, lit by a single orange lantern. Ichinora blinked dazed eyes as she followed the hunter into the small opening. The area was shaped like a circle once they were past the trash and debris that mostly hid the area from view. Baju was hacking and slashing his axes at the druid, who seemed to be easily dancing just out of his blades path. The worg was already dead, having perished somewhere the time it took Ichinora to reach the alleyway after falling.

The druid suddenly set his eyes on the poor goblin, striking out and nearly killing him when he stepped too close. The hunter shouted loudly, stumbling back several feet, clutching at his bleeding chest. He roared, spouting out some obscenity before making a mad dash for the exit. He was cut short however, barely making it past Ichinora before the druid pounced, cutting his exit off and slashing out, killing him quickly. The night elf locked eyes with the rogue, mere feet from Ichinora now. A heated sort of anger lingered there before he turned back to the obviously winded warrior who was bleeding profusely and staggering dazedly towards the night elf. She hadn't even seen how serious the troll was damaged until then. Stealthing as he slinked back to Baju, the warrior howled angrily, raising his axes in the air as he did. Striking from behind, the druid paralyzed him and with a vicious sort of roar, then went into a deadly rampage, cutting Baju down mercilessly.

Before Ichinora could even think to move, the druid had once again pounced, placing himself between the rogue and her only exit. He stalked foreward, the typically stoic feline face twisted into a snarl. She had no choice but to back peddle away, keeping a hand against the wall to maintain her balance. He transformed back into his night elf form, where the snarl changed to an intense scowl. Branches suddenly grew from the wooden planks at the rogues feet, trapping her in place. She nearly toppled backwards, but the druid's hand shot foreward, gripping Ichinora's wrist, pulling her foreward and into his chest. The roots fell away as he pushed her back into the wall, nearly crushing her between his steely chest and the hard wall of the shanty house.


End file.
